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Pine Script v6 → MQL5 expert advisor

strategy.exit in MQL5: stop loss and take profit with CTrade

Short answer

strategy.exit("Long exit", "Long", loss = 300, profit = 600) sets a stop and a target in ticks from the entry's fill price. In MQL5, pass both prices with the order, trade.Buy(lots, _Symbol, ask, sl, tp), computed with the symbol's tick size and within its stops level, then move them to the real fill price with PositionModify() if the order slipped.

Pinestrategy.exitloss / profitstop / limitsyminfo.mintickstrategy.position_size

MQL5CTrade::BuyCTrade::PositionModifyCTrade::ResultPriceSYMBOL_TRADE_TICK_SIZESYMBOL_TRADE_STOPS_LEVEL

  • MQL5: compiled in MetaEditor, 0 errors, 0 warnings
  • Pine: checked by Edgoro Pine Check, not run in TradingView

By Edgoro

Get the MQL5 codeFull mapping table

The Pine Script v6 code

A long-only strategy that buys when the close crosses above a 50 SMA, with a stop 300 ticks below and a target 600 ticks above the entry price.

Checked by Edgoro Pine Check with no errors and no warnings. Pine Check is a static checker, not TradingView's compiler, and this script was not run in TradingView.

Pine Script v6
//@version=6
strategy("Stop loss and take profit with strategy.exit", overlay = true, commission_type = strategy.commission.percent, commission_value = 0.01, slippage = 2)

len = input.int(50, "SMA length", minval = 1)
stopTicks = input.int(300, "Stop loss (ticks)", minval = 1)
targetTicks = input.int(600, "Take profit (ticks)", minval = 1)

sma = ta.sma(close, len)
longSignal = ta.crossover(close, sma)

if longSignal and strategy.position_size == 0
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)

// loss and profit are in ticks, measured from the entry's fill price
strategy.exit("Long exit", "Long", loss = stopTicks, profit = targetTicks)

plot(sma, "SMA", color.orange, 2)

The MQL5 program

The Expert Advisor with the same entry and the same stop and target in ticks, placed on the broker's server with the order. It sends real orders, so run it in the Strategy Tester or on a demo account first.

Save it as MQL5/Experts/stop-loss-take-profit-strategy-exit.mq5 and compile it in MetaEditor (F7): 0 errors, 0 warnings.

MQL5
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| strategy.exit(loss = ..., profit = ...) in MQL5: a stop loss and |
//| a take profit in ticks from the entry's fill price.              |
//| Expert Advisor: save in MQL5/Experts and compile (F7).           |
//| It sends real orders: run it in the Strategy Tester or on a demo |
//| account first.                                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#include <Trade/Trade.mqh>

input int    InpSmaLen      = 50;       // SMA length
input int    InpStopTicks   = 300;      // Stop loss, ticks
input int    InpTargetTicks = 600;      // Take profit, ticks
input double InpLots        = 0.10;     // Volume, lots
input ulong  InpMagic       = 20261112; // Magic number
input ulong  InpSlippage    = 20;       // Maximum slippage, points

CTrade   trade;
int      smaHandle   = INVALID_HANDLE;
datetime lastBarTime = 0;

int OnInit()
  {
   if(InpSmaLen < 1 || InpStopTicks < 1 || InpTargetTicks < 1)
      return INIT_PARAMETERS_INCORRECT;
   smaHandle = iMA(_Symbol, _Period, InpSmaLen, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_CLOSE);
   if(smaHandle == INVALID_HANDLE)
      return INIT_FAILED;
   trade.SetExpertMagicNumber(InpMagic);
   trade.SetDeviationInPoints(InpSlippage);
   trade.SetTypeFillingBySymbol(_Symbol);
   return INIT_SUCCEEDED;
  }

void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
   IndicatorRelease(smaHandle);
  }

// syminfo.mintick: the price step of the symbol (not always equal to _Point)
double TickSize()
  {
   double t = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_TRADE_TICK_SIZE);
   return t > 0.0 ? t : _Point;
  }

double RoundToTick(const double price)
  {
   double t = TickSize();
   return NormalizeDouble(MathRound(price / t) * t, _Digits);
  }

double NormalizeLots(const double lots)
  {
   double step = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_STEP);
   double minV = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_MIN);
   double maxV = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_MAX);
   if(step <= 0.0)
      return 0.0;
   double v = MathFloor(lots / step + 1e-9) * step;
   if(v < minV)
      return 0.0;
   return NormalizeDouble(MathMin(v, maxV), 8);
  }

// Ticket of this EA's open position on the symbol, 0 if flat (strategy.position_size == 0)
ulong OurPosition()
  {
   for(int i = PositionsTotal() - 1; i >= 0; i--)
     {
      ulong ticket = PositionGetTicket(i);
      if(ticket != 0 && PositionGetString(POSITION_SYMBOL) == _Symbol && (ulong)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_MAGIC) == InpMagic)
         return ticket;
     }
   return 0;
  }

// The broker refuses stops closer than SYMBOL_TRADE_STOPS_LEVEL points to the Bid (for a buy)
bool StopsAllowed(const double sl, const double tp)
  {
   double bid = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_BID);
   double minDist = (double)SymbolInfoInteger(_Symbol, SYMBOL_TRADE_STOPS_LEVEL) * _Point;
   return bid - sl > minDist && tp - bid > minDist;
  }

void OpenLong()
  {
   double lots = NormalizeLots(InpLots);
   MqlTick tick;
   if(lots <= 0.0 || !SymbolInfoTick(_Symbol, tick))
      return;

   // Stops from the price we ask for; corrected below from the real fill price
   double sl = RoundToTick(tick.ask - InpStopTicks * TickSize());
   double tp = RoundToTick(tick.ask + InpTargetTicks * TickSize());
   if(!StopsAllowed(sl, tp))
     {
      Print("Stop or target closer than the broker's stops level: no trade");
      return;
     }
   if(!trade.Buy(lots, _Symbol, tick.ask, sl, tp, "Long") || trade.ResultRetcode() != TRADE_RETCODE_DONE)
     {
      PrintFormat("Buy failed: retcode %u (%s)", trade.ResultRetcode(), trade.ResultRetcodeDescription());
      return;
     }

   // Pine measures loss and profit from the fill price: re-anchor them if the order slipped
   double fill = trade.ResultPrice();
   if(fill <= 0.0 || MathAbs(fill - tick.ask) < TickSize() / 2)
      return;
   ulong ticket = OurPosition();
   double newSl = RoundToTick(fill - InpStopTicks * TickSize());
   double newTp = RoundToTick(fill + InpTargetTicks * TickSize());
   if(ticket != 0 && StopsAllowed(newSl, newTp) && !trade.PositionModify(ticket, newSl, newTp))
      PrintFormat("Could not move the stops to the fill price: retcode %u", trade.ResultRetcode());
  }

void OnTick()
  {
   datetime barTime = iTime(_Symbol, _Period, 0);
   if(barTime == 0 || barTime == lastBarTime)
      return;

   double sma[];
   ArraySetAsSeries(sma, true);  // [0] = bar 1 (just closed), [1] = bar 2
   double c1 = iClose(_Symbol, _Period, 1);
   double c2 = iClose(_Symbol, _Period, 2);
   if(CopyBuffer(smaHandle, 0, 1, 2, sma) != 2 || c1 == 0.0 || c2 == 0.0)
      return;  // not ready: try again on the next tick
   lastBarTime = barTime;

   // if ta.crossover(close, sma) and strategy.position_size == 0: strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
   if(c1 > sma[0] && c2 <= sma[1] && OurPosition() == 0)
      OpenLong();
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

Line by line

Pine Script v6
stopTicks = input.int(300, "Stop loss (ticks)", minval = 1)
// a tick is syminfo.mintick
MQL5
input int InpStopTicks = 300;  // Stop loss, ticks
double TickSize()
  {
   double t = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_TRADE_TICK_SIZE);
   return t > 0.0 ? t : _Point;
  }

A Pine tick is syminfo.mintick, the symbol's price step; in MQL5 that is SYMBOL_TRADE_TICK_SIZE. _Point is the value of the price's last digit and isn't always the same.

Pine Script v6
if longSignal and strategy.position_size == 0
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
MQL5
if(c1 > sma[0] && c2 <= sma[1] && OurPosition() == 0)
   OpenLong();

Only when flat, judged on the closed bar at the first tick of the next one.

Pine Script v6
strategy.exit("Long exit", "Long", loss = stopTicks,
  profit = targetTicks)
MQL5
double sl = RoundToTick(tick.ask - InpStopTicks * TickSize());
double tp = RoundToTick(tick.ask + InpTargetTicks * TickSize());
trade.Buy(lots, _Symbol, tick.ask, sl, tp, "Long");

The stop and target go with the order and sit on the broker's server, so they work with the terminal closed. Prices are rounded to the tick size.

Pine Script v6
// loss and profit count from the fill price
MQL5
double fill = trade.ResultPrice();
...
trade.PositionModify(ticket, newSl, newTp);

If the order filled at another price than requested (slippage), the EA moves the stop and target to the same distances from the real fill price.

Pine Script v6
// no minimum distance in the broker emulator
MQL5
double minDist = (double)SymbolInfoInteger(_Symbol,
                    SYMBOL_TRADE_STOPS_LEVEL) * _Point;
return bid - sl > minDist && tp - bid > minDist;

Brokers refuse stops closer to the price than SYMBOL_TRADE_STOPS_LEVEL points; the server would answer 10016 invalid stops. For a buy the distance is measured from the Bid.

Pine Script v6
strategy.exit("Long exit", "Long", stop = s, limit = l)
MQL5
trade.Buy(lots, _Symbol, ask, RoundToTick(s), RoundToTick(l));

With prices instead of ticks, pass them as they are, rounded to the tick size.

Pitfalls

  • Bid and Ask. In MetaTrader 5 a long's stop and target trigger on the Bid, while the entry is at the Ask. A stop 300 ticks below the Ask is 300 ticks minus the spread below the Bid chart you see, so it is hit sooner than on a TradingView chart without spread.
  • Which comes first inside a bar. When the stop and the target are both inside one bar's range, TradingView's emulator infers the path from the bar's open, high, low and close; the MT5 tester with real ticks knows the order. The same bar can be a win on one and a loss on the other.
  • Ticks, points and pips. On a 5-digit forex symbol a tick is 0.00001, so 300 ticks are 30 pips. On gold or indices the tick size can be bigger than the point: distances computed with _Point and unrounded prices are refused with 10015 invalid price or 10016 invalid stops.
  • Modifying to the same values. PositionModify() with unchanged stops answers 10025 no changes; the EA only re-anchors when the fill differs by at least half a tick.
  • Freeze level. Close to the market, some brokers refuse to modify a position at all (10029 frozen). Sending the stops with the order avoids most of it.

Checking that both give the same values

  1. Run both on the same symbol and dates. For each stopped-out trade, the distance between entry and exit should be the stop in ticks: exactly in Pine, and in MetaTrader 5 from the fill price (plus any slippage on the exit).
  2. In the MetaTrader 5 tester's history, check each position's S/L and T/P against its open price: 300 and 600 ticks away.
  3. Count wins and losses on each. Differences should come from bars where both levels were inside the range, or from the spread.

Trailing stops

strategy.exit() with trail_points and trail_offset has no server-side twin for an Expert Advisor: the trailing stop in the terminal's position menu isn't available to programs. The EA moves the stop itself on each tick or each bar with trade.PositionModify(), only in the favourable direction and by at least one tick. The MQL5 trailing stop guide shows the code.

These programs show one technique each; they are not trading systems, and none of this is a recommendation to trade. Trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Edgoro is a software tool, not a broker or financial adviser: nothing it produces is investment advice, and past or backtested performance does not guarantee future results.

The whole guide
Expert Advisor

strategy.entry to CTrade

strategy.entry · strategy.close_all · strategy.position_size

Pine and MQL5 Worked port

Worked port: EMA cross with ATR stop

strategy() · ta.ema · ta.atr

Pine and MQL5 Expert Advisor

barstate.isconfirmed and new bars

barstate.isconfirmed · barstate.isnew · alert.freq_once_per_bar_close

Pine and MQL5

The same topic in each language

Pine Script example

ATR trailing stop (strategy)

An ATR trailing stop in a Pine Script v6 strategy: a stop that only moves in the trade's favor, set before the fill and passed to strategy.exit() on every bar.

Full script Pine Script example

Position sizing in a strategy

Size Pine Script v6 strategy orders four ways: percent of equity, fixed cash, fixed units, and a fixed risk per trade from the stop distance, with the formulas.

Full script MQL5 example · Script

Market buy or sell with CTrade

Open a market buy or sell in MQL5 with CTrade: stops measured from the right price, a margin check, and the retcode that says whether the order filled.

Full code MQL5 example · Script

Normalize price and lot size

Round prices to SYMBOL_TRADE_TICK_SIZE and lots to SYMBOL_VOLUME_STEP, MIN and MAX in MQL5, without the floating-point trap. Prints a symbol's rules.

Full code MQL5 example · Expert Advisor

Move stop to break-even

MQL5 EA that moves the stop-loss to break-even after a set profit, covering commission and swap, within the broker's stops and freeze levels.

Full code
All MQL5 errors
Trade server return code

10016 Invalid stops

10016 TRADE_RETCODE_INVALID_STOPS

Cause and fix Trade server return code

10015 Invalid price

10015 TRADE_RETCODE_INVALID_PRICE

Cause and fix Trade server return code

10025 No changes

10025 TRADE_RETCODE_NO_CHANGES

Cause and fix Trade server return code

10029 Frozen

10029 TRADE_RETCODE_FROZEN

Cause and fix
Guide

Pine Script strategy.exit(): stop loss and take profit that behave as you expect

How strategy.exit() works in Pine Script v6: price or tick-based stops and targets, levels fixed at entry, break-even, trailing stops, partial take-profits.

Read the guide Guide

MQL5 trailing stop: points, ATR and break-even code for MT5 Expert Advisors

Add a trailing stop to an MT5 Expert Advisor in MQL5: fixed-point and ATR trailing, break-even, broker stop and freeze levels, only the EA's own positions.

Read the guide

Rather not port it by hand?

Edgoro can generate the MQL5 version for you from a plain-English description of the rules, and compiles it in MetaEditor before you get it. Test it on a demo account: a clean build isn't proof that a strategy works.

See the MT5 EA generator Pine Script generator